Interviews

The Futureheads are back and stronger than ever.

They’ve had a breathless few years - twanging from Band Most Likely To to Cover Version Wunderkids to Dropped By Their Label Also-Rans in the blink of an eye. But with new album This Is Not The World out this month and, most importantly, their own label to release it on, The Futureheads look in ruder health than ever.

We asked The Futureheads’ Barry Hyde the same questions we ask everyone else, and this is how he answered…

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It's been four years since they broke onto the UK indie music scene, though probably about two years since you last heard of them; and now it seems they have gone all electronica on our ass.

Let's start with what we know about The Long Blondes: They are a band, there are five of them, they were formed in Sheffield, they have released one album Someone to Drive You Home (another due 4th April - Couples), Weekend Without Makeup is their biggest single hit to date (no.28, Top 40), they do not listen to The Beatles, they do wear a lot of vintage threads, they are currently embarking on a nationwide tour.

We caught up with foxy lead singer Kate Jackson backstage before their recent gig at Fibbers, York. She was very lovely and gave us a beer.

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Alex Sim-Wise is a woman. And a very pretty one at that.

So much so that she is paid to pose in sexual positions to excite sexually frustrated blokes and give them the false hope that one day they’ll get married to her and live in a pink castle in the clouds. However, Alex is not your average bimbo model who aspires to shag a footballer outside a trendy London nightclub. Her no-holds-bar attitude has propelled her to fame and a hardcore legion of fans. 

We asked Alex the same questions we ask everybody else, and this is how she answered… 

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If ever there was a band born to grace future editions of Guitar Hero, it's Chop Suicide.

Billed - by themselves - as snotty, flirty, in-your-face, rock and roll, Chop Suicide is pretty much exactly that. If you like your music sleazy and raw and, um, Canadian, then it goes without saying that you should give Chop Suicide a nose.

We asked Chop Suicide - aka Staci T. Rat, Danyell, Stéphane DéBernardi and Kevin Eamon - the same questions we ask everyone else, and this is how they answered…

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You might know Envy & Other Sins as the band from that Mobile Act Unsigned show, but they're not just your average reality TV gonks.

This month sees the release of the debut Envy & Other Sins album We Leave At Dawn, a vital-sounding collection of English pop helmed by Coldplay's producer. We aren't sure what the other sins in the band's name are, but they probably include slavery and not cleaning up afterwards when your dog craps in the park.

We asked Jim from Envy & Other Sins the same questions we ask everybody else, and this is how he answered…

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Hecklerspray might have something of a coup in the pipeline, and we need your help.

Following our red-hot interview with Tina from S Club 7 this week, there's a very good chance that our next interviewee will be none other than Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg! Even better, he's going to respond to the questions on video. But we just don't know what to ask him.

That's where you come in. We want Snoop Dogg to answer your questions. So we want you use the comment box below to leave as many questions - good, bad, funny, serious - to Snoop Dogg as you like. We'll cherrypick the best ones and let Snoop work his magic on them.

Sound like a deal? Good. And while you're thinking you can watch the preposterously good video to Snoop Dogg's new single Sensual Seduction for inspiration. 

As one of S Club 7, Tina Barrett made four number one singles, one number one album and a slightly ropey film.

Since S Club 7's split, Tina has managed to avoid a lot of the controversy that other S Clubbers have found themselves in - mainly by steering clear of making slightly racist comments on reality TV shows and Agent Codey Banks 2: Destination London. She currently lives in London and spends her time working on solo material and fending off the hamfisted romantic advances of hecklerspray.

We asked Tina Barrett the same questions we ask everyone else, and this is how she answered…

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Shaun Anthony is pop-soul's great white hope for 2008. And that's not just loose talk - Lemar from Fame Academy thinks so too.

Inspired by a precise formula of influences to make girls scream and credible music fans sit up and take notice, 20-year-old Shaun Anthony is working on an album for next year. We caught up with him for a chat about music, life, and to quite brazenly flirt with him for a little bit at the end…

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British Sea power have been wowing music-lovers all over the country since 2003 Decline Of British Sea Power.

They followed it up with 2005's well-received Open Season, touring with the likes of David Bowie, The Flaming Lips and Jarvis Cocker. On the eve of the forthcoming album Do You Like Rock Music? we caught up with British Sea Power frontman Yan to hear tales of helicopters, soldiers, and playing every city in the world…

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***Tried winning a signed Fonejacker DVD yet? Why not? *** 

You know the Fonejacker. He is that guy in a bobble hat phoning up victims disguised as a fey African and demanding their account numbers in return for one million Ugandan dollars. He is funnier than a cock-shaped cattle prod.

The Fonejacker is Kayvan Novak, a 28-year-old London born actor of Iranian descent. He voices every single character in Channel 4’s hilarious show, has appeared in the BBC spy series Spooks and even acted across from George Clooney in award-winning film Syriana. In short, he is about as up-and-coming as you can get, and we’ve got him.

Kayvan Novak does not look much like the Fonejacker. Or, being as we never actually see more of the Fonejacker than his lips, he does not look like you would expect him to look. Frustratingly handsome, but above all normal, Novak is a comedy actor first and foremost. His characters are grotesques and, while you get the feeling that he does not exactly hide behind them, they do offer a pleasing veil of anonymity. Being a man of mystery never hurt anyone. Just ask Chris Morris. Though you can’t, because nobody can ever get him on the phone.

With the release of Fonejacker series one on DVD, Novak was in a relaxed mood. He had this to say…

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Richard Herring used to be best-known for being half of Lee & Herring, the student-friendly Fist Of Fun comedy double act that used to be on TV - but now Richard Herring is mostly famous for having a blog that Alan McGee doesn't think as good as hecklerspray.

Well, OK, his not-as-good-as-hecklerspray Warming Up blog is partly why Richard Herring is famous - he's also a touring stand-up comedian, Edinburgh Festival staple and the writer of You Can Choose Your Friends, a prime-time one-off ITV drama to be broadcast next Thursday. People may say that makes Richard Herring better than hecklerspray, but we would like to remind him that we won a blog award and he didn't. His blog isn't even as good as the blog by The Sessions, a band who we haven't heard of either. Despite this, we literally couldn't like the man more.

We caught up with Richard Herring to chat about You Can Choose Your Friends, the Cumberland Pencil Museum and the crushing shame that comes with being beaten at awards by hecklerspray… 

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Mark Ronson is one of the most highly sought-after producers around, having helped push Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse into the big league; plus Mark Ronson is the only DJ around who can apparently froth Tom Cruise into a frenzy of finger-guns.

Later this month Mark Ronson releases Version, his eagerly-anticipated follow-up to his Ghostface-starring, Mos Def-starring, Saigon-premiering debut Here Comes The Fuzz. And Version is totally different animal - all the hip-hop stylings have been replaced by Motown horns and more soul than you can fire a gun at. By the way, Mark Ronson called the album Version because it's a covers album. Covers of The Kaiser Chiefs and The Zutons. Surprisingly, Version is a bloody good listen. 

We briefly caught up with Mark Ronson to discuss Curly Wurlies, gansta mispronunciation of his name and Foreigner. Because Mark Ronson's Dad was in Foreigner…

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